Study Group
by sycoandcrazy.inc
Summary: Detective Files AU, follows Superhero in Training. A simple study group becomes something unexpectedly personal for Kuwabara. And Dick makes Plans.


"Ready to head to the library, Kaz?" Dick asked.

"Yeah," Kuwabara replied, tossing his backpack over his shoulder. Several of the guys in their dorm had tests coming up in different classes, so they were all heading over to the library together as a study group. They were going to the library at Dick's insistence, because the last time they'd tried to have a study group in the dorm, someone had turned on some music, someone else had brought several bags of potato chips, beer showed up all on its own, and far more partying had happened than studying. By actually going to the library, they hoped to get some real work done.

They met in their dorm lobby, and Kuwabara wasn't surprised to see that it was a slightly smaller group than the one they'd had before.

"Where is the library anyway?" asked one of the guys, Will. Kuwabara was pretty sure it was supposed to be a joke. Maybe.

"Don't worry," Dick said, "I've been before, so I know the way. Let's go!"

They trekked over to the library and found some tables at the back to push together. A couple of the guys' girlfriends met them there, and soon the group was focused on their studying, with only some minor talking when people asked each other questions.

Kuwabara was really getting into the studying groove when a new voice said, "Hey, Dick! I haven't seen you all year."

Kuwabara looked up from his books to see a young woman approaching Dick. She was shorter than Botan by about an inch, with bright red hair, blue eyes, a great shape, and a dazzling smile. She was dressed simply in a gray skirt and a black short sleeve shirt.

Dick grinned when he saw her. "Hey, Barbara. What are you up to?"

"Same as you I'd guess," she said setting an armful of books down on the table. "I've got tests coming up, and a big project. All on the same day of course."

"Sometimes I think professors purposely schedule all our stuff to be due at the same time," Dick said.

"I'd believe it," Barbara replied.

"By the way, Barbara, this is my roommate, Kazuma," Dick said. "Kaz, this is an old friend of mine, Barbara Gordon."

"Nice to meet you," Kuwabara said.

"The pleasure's all mine," Barbara replied with a bright smile and firm handshake.

"If you need to study, you're welcome to join our group," Dick said.

"Sounds like fun." She made a face. "Or at least as fun as studying ever gets."

There were no empty chairs at their table so Kuwabara automatically stood. "Here, you can have my seat. I'll go find another chair."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Barbara said. "Finding a chair is no problem."

"I can't let a lady look for a seat," Kuwabara protested.

"Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you, Kaz?" Will asked in a loud stage whispered. His girlfriend, Judy, punched him in the shoulder.

"Leave Kaz alone," Judy said. "He's just being a gentleman; it's sweet. Matter of fact, you could stand to learn a few things from him."

"I'll go get that chair now," Kuwabara said hastily to excuse himself. He could feel his ears turning red at the way his actions were being misunderstood. He wasn't trying to _flirt_ with Barbara; sure she was pretty, but he'd only just met her! Besides, he couldn't really fathom the idea of flirting with any girl right now. The memory of Yukina's rejection was still too sharp and painful, like an unexpected knife in the gut. He just couldn't see himself sitting comfortably while a lady had to drag a chair over for a seat.

The nearest chairs were all occupied, so Kuwabara had to search a little while for a chair. He didn't mind the time it took. In fact, he dragged his feet a little on the way, using the time to try and get his thoughts under control. Now that he'd thought of Yukina, it was hard to get her out of his head. Between school and Batman, Kuwabara was kept busy enough that he frequently went days without having a chance to think about her. But when something happened that did cause him to think of her, she consumed his thoughts for hours at a time.

Kuwabara got his emotions under a semblance of control and then finally tracked down an empty chair and carried it back to his study group. Barbara had settled into his old seat, and someone, probably Dick, had shifted Kuwabara's things over to an empty space between Barbara and Dick. It took a little maneuvering, but Kuwabara managed to fit the chair, and eventually himself, between them.

Kuwabara tried to focus on his studies, but he found it difficult at that point, still unable to keep his thoughts from straying to Yukina. He closed his eyes, remembering how the smells of the meals she cooked would fill the house, how her face would flush pink from the heat of the stews she'd make, the way her mint green hair would shimmer in the sunlight, the gentle warmth of her red eyes when she smiled. He'd long ago memorized the sweetness of her voice, her soft laughs.

"_I don't care about you like that."_

Kuwabara's eyes snapped open when he felt Dick nudge him with his elbow. "Are you falling asleep on us already?" Dick teased. "It's only nine thirty."

Kuwabara forced a smile. "I'm fine. I just…didn't sleep well last night." The statement was more or less correct; he'd been out fairly late with Batman and Robin the night before. He closed his textbook and stood. "Actually, I think I'm going to head back to the room. I'm not really absorbing anything right now anyway."

"I think I'm going to head out too," Barbara said suddenly, closing her own books. "I've got to get up early tomorrow for my gymnastics practice."

It seemed rude to walk away when Barbara was on her way out as well, so Kuwabara waited for her to gather her stuff together and walked with her out the library.

"I'm sorry about you getting teased back there," Barbara said when they made it outside. "It really was sweet of you to give up your chair."

Kuwabara shrugged, not entirely comfortable with the topic. "It happens."

Her next words were even more unexpected to him. "You know, sometimes it's easier to talk about things that are bothering you to a stranger."

Kuwabara stopped walking he was so surprised. "What makes you think something is bothering me?"

She smiled a little and shifted her grip on her books. "Call it women's intuition. But if you don't want to talk, that's fine too. It's none of my business I know."

Kuwabara opened his mouth to turn her offer down, and then stopped. He hadn't been able to talk to anyone about Yukina's rejection. He was too embarrassed to turn to his father, Shizuru didn't do sympathy, Sawamura, Okubo, and Kirishima wouldn't understand, and as for the others…When he thought about it, Kuwabara got the feeling that Yusuke, Hiei and Kurama had known all along that Yukina would reject him. He didn't have any rational reason for thinking this, but the feeling was there, and with that looming over him there was no way he could have a coherent conversation with any of them about it. Besides, Yusuke would probably try to turn the whole thing into some big joke, and Kuwabara couldn't handle that right now.

But maybe Barbara was right. An objective eye on the situation might be helpful, and since she was a girl, Barbara might see something about the situation that he'd missed.

Kuwabara tilted his head back to look up at the sky as he tried to figure out what to say. "If a guy liked you," he finally said, "I mean, really liked you, but you only thought of him as a friend, would you tell him, or just let him keep hoping even though you were never going to like him like that?"

"Ouch," Barbara said. "That's a hard situation all around. But I think, if it was me, I'd go ahead and tell him. After all, the longer something like that gets dragged out, the more it hurts in the end."

The stars going blurry must have been a trick of the light; Kuwabara couldn't have tears in his eyes. "Then why didn't she tell me?"

"How long did you have feelings for her?" Barbara asked.

"Since I was fourteen," Kuwabara replied. He still wasn't looking at her, so he didn't see her start, but he did feel her surprise. "Yeah. Eight years. I guess I should have figured it out on my own. It's not like we ever dated or anything. It's just…she never told me to go away. And I was convinced we were tied by the red string of fate."

"Red string of fate?" Barbara asked.

Blinking his eyes clear, Kuwabara finally looked down at Barbara. "It's an old wives tale. Legend has it that two people destined to marry are tied together by the red string of fate." He looked away again. "Obviously, I was wrong."

"Did she give you a reason for not saying anything?" Barbara asked.

"She said…she said she thought I'd grow out of it," Kuwabara said.

Barbara made a choked noise. "After _eight years_?"

Kuwabara's lips twitched up just a little. "That was my response too."

Barbara was silent for a moment and then looked up at Kuwabara. "Look, Kazuma, I don't know this girl, so I can't really say anything about what her motivations might have been, or why she never returned your feelings. But for what it's worth," she said placing a hand on his arm, "I think she's really missed out."

Before Kuwabara could respond, Barbara's stack of books proved to be too awkward to hold in just one arm and one of her textbooks slipped out of her grip. Kuwabara reacted quickly to catch her textbook, but the action caused him to drop all of his books.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Barbara said, setting her stuff down in a pile to help Kuwabara gather up his things.

"It's not your fault," Kuwabara setting the textbook he'd caught down on top of her stack of books so he could collect his stuff. Barbara handed him the books she'd picked up and they stood.

"Well, goodnight," Barbara said, turning away to return to her dorm.

"Goodnight," Kuwabara said. "And, Barbara?" She paused and looked back over her shoulder at him. "Thanks. For listening."

She smiled at him. "Anytime, Kazuma."

As Kuwabara walked back to his dorm, his steps felt just a little bit lighter. No talking to Barbara hadn't changed his situation any, but it had been a relief to unburden himself and she was a good listener.

* * *

Dick shifted out of the shadows after Kazuma and Barbara walked away. He felt a little guilty for eavesdropping on their conversation, and he hadn't gone outside with the intention of doing so. He'd thought that Kazuma's sudden mood swing in the library was weird, so he'd wanted to meet him back at the dorm to make sure he was okay. But when he'd come outside Kazuma and Barbara were already talking, and well, Dick hadn't been able to make himself not listen.

"Girl trouble, huh?" Dick mused. Based on what he'd heard, Kazuma had had a real rough time of it. Dick glanced the way Barbara had gone and smirked as an idea occurred to him. "I think it's time Kaz got a new girl."

* * *

AN: I'm going to have so much _fun_ with Dick's matchmaking schemes. I really am. Whether or not they'll ever work...well, I guess we'll see.


End file.
